Narrative:

Started my 4TH day of a 4-DAY trip in slc. Pushback and engine start were normal. Salt lake city was using runways 34L and 35. Runway 34R was closed. Upon arriving at runway 34L, tower told us that there was a slight delay. In a couple of mins, tower cleared us to taxi in position and hold. Previous traffic had just cleared the runway and tower cleared us to take off and turn right to a heading of 260 degrees. I read back the clearance. As we started our takeoff roll, the captain was setting the thrust levers and I was twisting the heading bug from runway heading (runway 34L) all the way around to the right to 260 degrees. At the same time, I'm asking myself, why are we making a r-hand turn. The captain set the thrust levers and asked, 'right 260 degrees.' I said, 'yes, right 260 degrees.' departure came back and told us to make an immediate left turn to 340 degrees, climb to 10000 ft.' the captain made a 30 degree banking left turn to 340 degrees as we climbed to 10000 ft. Once we were out of the area, we asked departure if we made a mistake. Departure told us to call the TRACON when we got to our destination. The rest of the trip was uneventful. The captain called TRACON from our destination and spoke with supervisor. We were informed that the tower controller in fact gave us the wrong turn. I was relieved that we did not make the mistake, however, I was upset at myself for not questioning the controller why we were to make a r-hand turn instead of a l-hand turn. If something doesn't look right, it probably isn't. My captain did a great job correcting the situation and also, he didn't let me beat myself up all the way to our destination. Supplemental information from acn 616880: I spoke with the slc TRACON supervisor. He confirmed that tower did issue the right turn and that there was no pilot deviation. He further said that slc has had some 'in house' issues that needed to be addressed. He also informed me that once we passed the east runway centerline below 8000 ft that they had to initiate paperwork because we were below their MVA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW WAS ISSUED VECTORS TOWARDS A HIGHER MVA AREA. THE CREW WAS TAKING OFF FROM SLC, RWY 34L, AND WAS ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE TURN ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP CTL.

Narrative: STARTED MY 4TH DAY OF A 4-DAY TRIP IN SLC. PUSHBACK AND ENG START WERE NORMAL. SALT LAKE CITY WAS USING RWYS 34L AND 35. RWY 34R WAS CLOSED. UPON ARRIVING AT RWY 34L, TWR TOLD US THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT DELAY. IN A COUPLE OF MINS, TWR CLRED US TO TAXI IN POS AND HOLD. PREVIOUS TFC HAD JUST CLRED THE RWY AND TWR CLRED US TO TAKE OFF AND TURN R TO A HDG OF 260 DEGS. I READ BACK THE CLRNC. AS WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL, THE CAPT WAS SETTING THE THRUST LEVERS AND I WAS TWISTING THE HDG BUG FROM RWY HDG (RWY 34L) ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE R TO 260 DEGS. AT THE SAME TIME, I'M ASKING MYSELF, WHY ARE WE MAKING A R-HAND TURN. THE CAPT SET THE THRUST LEVERS AND ASKED, 'R 260 DEGS.' I SAID, 'YES, R 260 DEGS.' DEP CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO 340 DEGS, CLB TO 10000 FT.' THE CAPT MADE A 30 DEG BANKING L TURN TO 340 DEGS AS WE CLBED TO 10000 FT. ONCE WE WERE OUT OF THE AREA, WE ASKED DEP IF WE MADE A MISTAKE. DEP TOLD US TO CALL THE TRACON WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DEST. THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE CAPT CALLED TRACON FROM OUR DEST AND SPOKE WITH SUPVR. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE TWR CTLR IN FACT GAVE US THE WRONG TURN. I WAS RELIEVED THAT WE DID NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE, HOWEVER, I WAS UPSET AT MYSELF FOR NOT QUESTIONING THE CTLR WHY WE WERE TO MAKE A R-HAND TURN INSTEAD OF A L-HAND TURN. IF SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, IT PROBABLY ISN'T. MY CAPT DID A GREAT JOB CORRECTING THE SIT AND ALSO, HE DIDN'T LET ME BEAT MYSELF UP ALL THE WAY TO OUR DEST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 616880: I SPOKE WITH THE SLC TRACON SUPVR. HE CONFIRMED THAT TWR DID ISSUE THE R TURN AND THAT THERE WAS NO PLTDEV. HE FURTHER SAID THAT SLC HAS HAD SOME 'IN HOUSE' ISSUES THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT ONCE WE PASSED THE E RWY CTRLINE BELOW 8000 FT THAT THEY HAD TO INITIATE PAPERWORK BECAUSE WE WERE BELOW THEIR MVA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.